Asok Kumar appointed global CEO of Morrison Express

Morrison Express has appointed Asok Kumar as its new Global Chief Executive Officer, effective August 1, 2025. The move follows the company’s recent acquisition by Sagawa Express, a subsidiary of Japan’s SG Holdings. Kumar is based at Morrison’s headquarters in Taipei.

The appointment signals a new phase for Morrison Express as it begins integration with SG Holdings international network and aligns its operations with the group’s long-term global logistics strategy.

Kumar brings over two decades of experience in international freight forwarding and supply chain leadership. He most recently served as Executive Vice President and Head of Global Air Freight at DB Schenker, where he led the air cargo business across 14 countries and oversaw over 2,000 employees. He was based in Frankfurt, Germany.

Kumar began his career at Singapore Airlines (SQ), focusing on passenger operations. As SIA Cargo—the airline’s cargo arm—expanded, he transitioned to the freight division, taking on the role of Regional Cargo Manager for Europe. In this position, he oversaw operations in key locations such as London and Frankfurt, before moving on to lead the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia cluster.

Later, he switched to the freight forwarding industry, joining a US-based company called BAX Global as Managing Director in Thailand. After four years, he moved to another company, Exel, which was later taken over by DHL. Around the same time in 2006, DB Schenker acquired BAX and offered him a new role as Head of Sales for Asia Pacific. Since then, he has held several key positions at DB Schenker, including Head of Airfreight in the Americas and eventually became the global head of airfreight.

During his tenure at DB Schenker, Kumar played a central role in navigating the company through the pandemic’s air cargo crisis implementing charter programmes, managing volatile capacity, and introducing greater visibility and predictive capabilities in customer shipments.

Kumar was instrumental in strengthening airline partnerships, stabilising long-term procurement, and driving strategic investments in digital infrastructure. He also championed sustainability initiatives and collaborative forecasting models that allowed customers to plan ahead more confidently, even during volatile periods.

Known for his results-oriented leadership and collaborative mindset, Kumar helped shape DB Schenker’s Asia-Pacific air freight into one of the most resilient and adaptable divisions in the region. His approach grounded in transparency, agility, and strong carrier relations earned him recognition as a thought leader within the logistics industry.

Kumar is widely regarded for his ability to drive transformation in complex markets and build agile, resilient logistics networks. His career has spanned leadership roles across the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and North America, and he is known for championing innovation, customer centricity, and operational efficiency.

Following DSV’s recent acquisition of DB Schenker, Kumar chose to step down from his role and has been serving his notice period since March. He relocated to Taiwan last month.

In 1972, Morrison Express Corporation was founded in Taiwan with a team of 16 individuals, a small team with a shared vision of success. Drawing inspiration from the majestic Mount Morrison, also known as Mount Jade, the highest peak in Taiwan, the company’s aim was to be a leader of the global transportation and logistics industry.

A Morrison Express warehouse in Shenzhen, China

It is ranked among the world’s top 20 air freight forwarders. The company is known for its expertise in handling time-critical and high-value shipments across sectors such as semiconductors, electronic machinery and retail. It operates through a network of over 94 offices in more than 100 countries, with a strong presence in Asia, North America, and Europe.

On 20 May 2025, Morrison was officially acquired by SG Holdings, as part of the Japanese conglomerate’s global expansion strategy. The deal, estimated at nearly US$900 million, adds Morrison’s air freight and high-tech specialisation to SG Holdings' already substantial international freight and parcel logistics business.

Morrison Express now joins EFL Global within SG Holdings global forwarding portfolio. EFL, acquired earlier by SG Holdings, is headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and has a strong foundation in ocean freight, apparel logistics, origin services, and e-commerce fulfilment. The company operates in over 39 countries with 70+ offices worldwide.

According to SG Holdings, as stated in an official release following its Q3 FY2026 results, Morrison’s integration into the group has accelerated progress in acquiring operational know-how, expanding industry reach, and strengthening global networks.

“Going forward, we plan to reinforce our business base in Asia, enhance Asia–North America trade lanes—an area where EFL has excelled—and broaden our service footprint in Europe and beyond by leveraging the customer bases and networks of all three companies. With this global network, we aim to establish our international logistics business as a second core revenue stream.”

For Morrison, approximately 70% of its total business comes from air freight, with ocean freight accounting for around 20%. In FY2024 (April–March), Morrison reported revenue of US$937 million.

For the remaining three quarters of FY2026 (July 2025 to March 2026), the company forecasts Morrison to generate operating revenue of 106 billion Japanese Yen (approximately US$718.57 million), according to an official release. During this period, Morrison is expected to handle 120,000 tonnes of air freight and 60,000 TEUs of ocean freight.

According to EFL Global, the combination of Morrison’s strength in air freight and high-tech verticals with EFL’s established ocean freight and consumer goods capabilities creates a highly complementary global forwarding platform. Together, they are expected to provide seamless end-to-end logistics solutions across Asia, Europe, and North America.

EFL excels in Asia–North America trade lanes, while Morrison brings strong capabilities in intra-Asia routes. Within Asia, EFL’s strengths lie in South and Southeast Asia, with a focus on India, whereas Morrison is well-positioned in East Asia and China. This complementary regional expertise enables efficient operations by leveraging each company’s procurement capabilities.

SG Holdings Group, headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, is the parent of Sagawa Express, a leading player in Japan’s parcel delivery and last-mile logistics industry. Established in 1957, the group employs more than 60,000 people worldwide and operates in areas including express courier, freight forwarding, contract logistics, information systems, and real estate, as detailed on its official website.

Through acquisitions like EFL and Morrison, SG Holdings is executing a deliberate push to diversify beyond domestic parcel logistics and strengthen its footprint in global freight operations. The group aims to build a comprehensive, technology-driven logistics platform with a focus on sustainability and long-term growth, including a target of carbon neutrality by 2050.

An official release published on the website confirms that a business promotion framework has been established between Morrison, EFL, and other group companies. Biweekly synergy committee meetings have been initiated to enhance collaboration and improve profitability through shared resource utilization.

With Asok Kumar now at the helm, Morrison Express is poised to deepen collaboration with EFL Global and other SG Holdings subsidiaries, delivering enhanced services to customers through multimodal, cross-border logistics solutions.

This leadership transition marks a significant milestone in Morrison’s journey from an Asia-based forwarder to a key pillar within a global logistics powerhouse.